The invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing video pictures, in particular for large area flicker effect reduction.
More specifically the invention is closely related to a kind of video processing for improving the picture quality of pictures which are displayed on matrix displays like plasma display panels (PDP), display devices with digital micro mirror arrays (DMD) and all kind of displays based on the principle of duty cycle modulation (pulse width modulation) of light emission.
Although plasma display panels are known for many years, plasma displays are encountering a growing interest from TV manufacturers. Indeed, this technology now makes it possible to achieve flat colour panels of large size and with limited depths without any viewing angle constraints. The size of the displays may be much larger than the classical CRT picture tubes would have ever been allowed.
Referring to the latest generation of European TV sets, a lot of work has been made to improve its picture quality. Consequently, there is a strong demand, that a TV set built in a new technology like the plasma display technology has to provide a picture so good or better than the old standard TV technology.
A plasma display panel utilises a matrix array of discharge cells which could only be switched ON or OFF. Also unlike a CRT or LCD in which grey levels are expressed by analogue control of the light emission, in a PDP the grey level is controlled by modulating the number of light pulses per frame. This time-modulation will be integrated by the eye over a period corresponding to the eye time response.
For static pictures, this time-modulation, repeats itself, with a base frequency equal to the frame frequency of the displayed video norm. As known from the CRT-technology, a light emission with base frequency of 50 Hz, introduces large area flicker, which can be eliminated by field repetition in 100 Hz CRT TV receivers.
Contrary to the CRTs, where the duty cycle of light emission is very short, the duty cycle of light emission in PDPs is ˜50% for middle grey. This reduces the amplitude of the 50 Hz frequency component in the spectrum, and thus large area flicker artefact, but due to the larger size of PDPS, with a larger viewing angle, even a reduced large area flicker becomes objectionable in terms of picture quality. The present trend of increasing size and brightness of PDPs, will also contribute to aggravate this problem in the future.